title: Serum sclerostin levels associated with lumbar spine bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sclerostin, expressed exclusively by osteocytes, is a negative regulator of bone formation. To gain insights into the action of sclerostin in postmenopausal osteoporosis, we evaluated serum sclerostin levels in postmenopausal women and investigated its possible associations with bone turnover markers in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We detected serum sclerostin, and measured lumbar spine bone mineral density in 650 Chinese postmenopausal women. We also assessed serum levels of β-isomerized C-terminal crosslinking of type I collagen, intact N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen, N-mid fragment of osteocalcin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and estradiol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum sclerostin levels were lower in postmenopausal osteoporotic women compared with non-osteoporotic postmenopausal women ((38.79 ± 7.43) vs. (52.86 ± 6.69) pmol/L, P < 0.001). Serum sclerostin was positively correlated with lumbar spine bone mineral density (r = 0.391, P < 0.001) and weakly negatively correlated with β-isomerized C-terminal crosslinking of type I collagen, intact N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen, N-mid fragment of osteocalcin (r = -0.225, P < 0.001; r = -0.091, P = 0.046; r = -0.108, P = 0.018; respectively) in postmenopausal osteoporosis. There was no significant association of serum sclerostin with age, body mass index, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and estradiol (r = -0.004, P = 0.926; r = 0.067, P = 0.143; r = 0.063, P = 0.165; r = -0.045, P = 0.324; respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sclerostin may be involved in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis and may play a role in bone turnover.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yan-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Fu-rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shuai
authors.forename: Cheng-gang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Man-xiang
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D024042:Collagen Type I; D005819:Genetic Markers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides; D011347:Procollagen; C422903:SOST protein, human; C052929:collagen type I trimeric cross-linked peptide; C047202:procollagen Type I N-terminal peptide